42 votes

Vaping likely to cause lung and oral cancer, Australian researchers find in new review of evidence

33 comments

  1. [22]
    ebonGavia
    Link
    Uhh that's an interesting conclusion to reach.

    “We’ve always assumed that vapes are safer than cigarettes, but you know, what we’re showing is that they might not be safe after all. We have no conclusive way in which to get people off the vapes.

    “So in smoking, we’ve got ways in nicotine gum, various drugs that we can give people to stop them from smoking. The evidence regarding people stopping vaping is very inconclusive.”

    Uhh that's an interesting conclusion to reach.

    16 votes
    1. [14]
      PraiseTheSoup
      Link Parent
      Agreed and it doesn't make any sense to me. They are both nicotine addictions. Chewing nicotine gum doesn't simulate smoking any more than it does vaping, so why would that only be an option for...

      Agreed and it doesn't make any sense to me. They are both nicotine addictions. Chewing nicotine gum doesn't simulate smoking any more than it does vaping, so why would that only be an option for one and not the other?

      I personally quit 2 years ago after 17 years of smoking and the gum was invaluable. I bought the huge pack from Costco and chewed it until it was gone and I haven't had any nicotine since. I specifically avoided what I think is the pitfall of trying to use a vape to quit smoking as, in my experience, most people just trade one habit for another. But nobody is gonna start chewing nicotine gum full time because the stuff is disgusting.

      17 votes
      1. [6]
        vord
        Link Parent
        Vaping got me off cigarettes because it properly replaced the oral fixiation 1-1. I weaned off the nicotine in phases. But this was back almost 10 years now. I had to mix my own ratios, and they...

        Vaping got me off cigarettes because it properly replaced the oral fixiation 1-1. I weaned off the nicotine in phases. But this was back almost 10 years now. I had to mix my own ratios, and they weren't selling this garbage at gas stations. And trading one vice for another is defineitely an improvement the way hammering your finger is better than hammering your forehead.

        But even then, it took COVID and a kid to get me off tobacco entirely. The kid as the motivation, the full-time WFH to kill the bad habits.

        20 votes
        1. [2]
          plutonic
          Link Parent
          I'm another person who successfully used vaping as a way of quitting nicotine completely. Reduced my consumption of cigarettes slowly until I was smoking ~5/day, then switched to vaping and then...

          I'm another person who successfully used vaping as a way of quitting nicotine completely. Reduced my consumption of cigarettes slowly until I was smoking ~5/day, then switched to vaping and then slowly reduced the strength of the juice until I was on something very low. Dropped my vape on the ground one day and broke it, decided right then and there I was done and I've never used nicotine since.

          So glad to be rid of that garbage habit. Though I still miss smoking, not vaping so much. There are times when a smoke is the perfect thing, I miss those moments but I will never go back. The hardest part was the ritual of the last smoke/vape of the day right before I went to bed.

          13 votes
          1. vord
            Link Parent
            Yup. As my father inlaw said: I am a smoker who chooses not to smoke.

            Yup. As my father inlaw said: I am a smoker who chooses not to smoke.

            8 votes
        2. [3]
          DefinitelyNotAFae
          Link Parent
          I definitely know some folks who switched to vapes to stop smoking but I don't personally know anyone who actually then kicked the nicotine habit after because it was so easy to increase their...

          I definitely know some folks who switched to vapes to stop smoking but I don't personally know anyone who actually then kicked the nicotine habit after because it was so easy to increase their intake (and one became the worst example of "guy who vapes indoors even when the venue says your group will get kicked out and argues about it because he thinks no one can tell he's vaping")

          So major props to you!

          9 votes
          1. [2]
            NaraVara
            Link Parent
            “Excuse me sir, why is there a nimbus of banana scented mist trailing you at all times? Are you Sun Wukong?”

            “Excuse me sir, why is there a nimbus of banana scented mist trailing you at all times? Are you Sun Wukong?”

            11 votes
            1. DefinitelyNotAFae
              Link Parent
              No clearly it was odorless! There's no way he could have been vaping. Ignore the giant fucking clouds of vapor ಠ_ಠ It was mostly the disrespect to the site/us and the inability to walk to the...

              No clearly it was odorless! There's no way he could have been vaping. Ignore the giant fucking clouds of vapor ಠ⁠_⁠ಠ

              It was mostly the disrespect to the site/us and the inability to walk to the designated spot because he thought he knew better than everyone else.

              8 votes
      2. [2]
        AugustusFerdinand
        Link Parent
        While the focus is on nicotine, the study mentions that the cause of the lung and oral cancer isn't likely to be just from nicotine, but the other things in vapes as well. It's almost like...

        Chewing nicotine gum doesn't simulate smoking any more than it does vaping, so why would that only be an option for one and not the other?

        While the focus is on nicotine, the study mentions that the cause of the lung and oral cancer isn't likely to be just from nicotine, but the other things in vapes as well.

        Physiological evidence of exposure using biomarkers reveals DNA damage correlated with vape-derived metabolites attributable to carcinogens including nicotine-derived nitrosamines, volatile organic compounds, flavour-derived agents, and certain metals. Biomarkers also indicate vaping-attributable oxidative stress, epigenetic change and inflammation in oral and respiratory tissue often specified in comparison with smoking.

        It's almost like inhaling anything but normal air is bad for you.

        14 votes
        1. sparksbet
          Link Parent
          Regardless of whether it's the cause of the cancer or not, the nicotine is the cause of the physical addiction. Obviously there can be behavioral factors as well, but we know nicotine is highly...

          Regardless of whether it's the cause of the cancer or not, the nicotine is the cause of the physical addiction. Obviously there can be behavioral factors as well, but we know nicotine is highly physically addictive.

          2 votes
      3. [5]
        hamstergeddon
        Link Parent
        ugh yes. I quit vaping high-nicotine vapes by switching to low-nicotine pouches. Started to feel uneasy about that so switched to low-nicotine vapes and I feel like while I'm making progress...

        most people just trade one habit for another

        ugh yes. I quit vaping high-nicotine vapes by switching to low-nicotine pouches. Started to feel uneasy about that so switched to low-nicotine vapes and I feel like while I'm making progress toward quitting nicotine, I can't seem to completely break out of it.

        2 votes
        1. NaraVara
          Link Parent
          Nicotine’s more addictive than fingernails so YMMV, but have you considered just using a toothpick? That (along with keeping a nail clipper on hand at all times) sort of broke me of my nail biting...

          Nicotine’s more addictive than fingernails so YMMV, but have you considered just using a toothpick? That (along with keeping a nail clipper on hand at all times) sort of broke me of my nail biting habit by substituting the oral fixation. It also replaced a habit that causes wear on my teeth with a habit that cleans them (basically works like flossing) which is nice too.

          4 votes
        2. PraiseTheSoup
          Link Parent
          What worked for me was just to find the right motivation. It's a bit shallow but for me it wasn't my health or my family, it was just the cost. I was spending $350+ per month on cigarettes. I...

          What worked for me was just to find the right motivation. It's a bit shallow but for me it wasn't my health or my family, it was just the cost. I was spending $350+ per month on cigarettes. I needed a new vehicle and so I rewarded myself for quitting by getting a new (used) car. It's my first vehicle in 20 years that didn't have cigarettes smoked in it, and that helped too.

          2 votes
        3. [2]
          tibpoe
          Link Parent
          This is probably harder now, but when I vaped I was mixing my own juices. I just slowly (i.e. a percentage point at a time) dropped the nicotine percentage in there until I realized that it was so...

          This is probably harder now, but when I vaped I was mixing my own juices. I just slowly (i.e. a percentage point at a time) dropped the nicotine percentage in there until I realized that it was so low that it wasn't worth refilling the vape.

          2 votes
          1. hamstergeddon
            Link Parent
            This is basically what I'm doing now. I bought a bottle of 3mg nicotine fluid and a bottle of 0mg. and I've been vaping a mix of the two. Hoping to switch to just 0 once the 3's empty.

            This is basically what I'm doing now. I bought a bottle of 3mg nicotine fluid and a bottle of 0mg. and I've been vaping a mix of the two. Hoping to switch to just 0 once the 3's empty.

            1 vote
    2. [7]
      elcuello
      Link Parent
      Nobody in their right mind thought it would be safe just maybe safer than regular smoking. I switched to vaping around new years and it has actually reduced my “smoking time” and regularity...

      but you know, what we’re showing is that they might not be safe after all.

      Nobody in their right mind thought it would be safe just maybe safer than regular smoking. I switched to vaping around new years and it has actually reduced my “smoking time” and regularity significantly. I don’t if it’s the amount of nicotine or because the smoke break suddenly isn’t so defined. I’m not ready to quit full out so it’s been a step in the right direction for me for now.

      11 votes
      1. [5]
        mild_takes
        Link Parent
        I know too many people who insist it's safe because it's "just vapour". Or people who think it's water based.

        Nobody in their right mind thought it would be safe just maybe safer than regular smoking.

        I know too many people who insist it's safe because it's "just vapour". Or people who think it's water based.

        12 votes
        1. [3]
          vord
          Link Parent
          It is (or was) mostly vegetable glycerol, the stuff used in fog machines. Odds are it's harmless with mild or even medium exposure. Much less so if you're huffing it day in/day out.

          It is (or was) mostly vegetable glycerol, the stuff used in fog machines.

          Odds are it's harmless with mild or even medium exposure. Much less so if you're huffing it day in/day out.

          3 votes
          1. NaraVara
            Link Parent
            I think one of the main areas for concern is with the abundance of poorly regulated flavor additives of unknown provenance, as well as whatever might be getting into it from the plastics and...

            I think one of the main areas for concern is with the abundance of poorly regulated flavor additives of unknown provenance, as well as whatever might be getting into it from the plastics and metals that the vapor is in contact with on the way to your mouth.

            10 votes
          2. stu2b50
            Link Parent
            Whether or not something is safe in general, vs safe when directly vaporized into your lungs are two separate things. I'm sure fog machines are safe, when used as fog machines, but it seems...

            Whether or not something is safe in general, vs safe when directly vaporized into your lungs are two separate things. I'm sure fog machines are safe, when used as fog machines, but it seems unlikely that you can vaporize anything directly into your lungs and have it to be safe.

            7 votes
        2. elcuello
          Link Parent
          I sadly stand corrected then. Just the fact that you repeatedly inhale something unnatural into your lungs should be a dead giveaway but here we apparently are.

          I sadly stand corrected then. Just the fact that you repeatedly inhale something unnatural into your lungs should be a dead giveaway but here we apparently are.

          3 votes
      2. chocobean
        Link Parent
        I, too, know too many people who vape, even in a home with small children freely, because it's deemed perfectly safe. Most people I know who vape don't use it as a cigarette harm reduction, but as...

        I, too, know too many people who vape, even in a home with small children freely, because it's deemed perfectly safe. Most people I know who vape don't use it as a cigarette harm reduction, but as a "this is new and perfectly safe modern replacement"

        3 votes
  2. [6]
    Bullmaestro
    Link
    Went for lunch with someone a few years back and we talked about the subject of vaping. She said it would be interesting to see the true effects in a few decades time. I always assumed that...

    Went for lunch with someone a few years back and we talked about the subject of vaping. She said it would be interesting to see the true effects in a few decades time.

    I always assumed that nicotine was the psychoactive element of a cigarette that got you hooked, and that it was actually the tar produced from smoking tobacco which contained carcinogens and damaged your lungs over long-term use; so this study surprises me...

    ...is what I would say if it weren't for the fact that a lot of vape fluid contains harmful chemicals that aren't safe for inhalation, such as Diacetyl which can cause popcorn lung. This particular chemical, while not considered a carcinogen, is banned for use in vape fluid across much of Europe.

    Part of me wonders if the carcinogenic nature of vaping is related to a particular chemical.

    13 votes
    1. [3]
      NaraVara
      Link Parent
      Could also be a byproduct of the plastics or dyes in the body of the vape or stem interacting with the hot vapor. Lots of potential sources of contamination!

      Could also be a byproduct of the plastics or dyes in the body of the vape or stem interacting with the hot vapor. Lots of potential sources of contamination!

      10 votes
      1. [2]
        Eji1700
        Link Parent
        I mean...could it just be the human lung is not designed to inhale anything that hot over long periods of time? I know the chemicals don't help, but i'd be curious to see comparisons to the kind...

        I mean...could it just be the human lung is not designed to inhale anything that hot over long periods of time?

        I know the chemicals don't help, but i'd be curious to see comparisons to the kind of person who sits in the hyper hot saunas all the time (both on long term effect and effective temperature in the lungs).

        3 votes
        1. NaraVara
          Link Parent
          By the time it hits your lungs it’s mostly gonna be cooled to your body temperature. Mouth and esophagus are a different story though. Actually, drinking hot drinks while smoking is associated...

          By the time it hits your lungs it’s mostly gonna be cooled to your body temperature. Mouth and esophagus are a different story though.

          Actually, drinking hot drinks while smoking is associated with markedly higher rates of oral and esophageal cancers. (Drinking alcohol as well, as it dissolves the mucous layer that coats the mouth leaving the soft tissue more vulnerable to damage by direct contact with the smoke).

          Also why cigarettes are slightly riskier (slight enough to not be meaningfully different) than pipe or hookah smoking as the pipes smoke cooler.

          The most likely thing is just particulates and large-molecules of all kinds end up being taxing for the body to clear out. This, of course, has other implications for things like inhaling brake dust and tire particles from heavy vehicles or even pollen granules.

          7 votes
    2. [2]
      vord
      Link Parent
      Best I can tell where I'm sitting, it's the tactile ritual that is the strongest part of the addiction. Cigarettes are like the ultimate fidget spinner. And they'll get you into ritualistic habits...

      Best I can tell where I'm sitting, it's the tactile ritual that is the strongest part of the addiction.

      Cigarettes are like the ultimate fidget spinner. And they'll get you into ritualistic habits far stronger than brushing your teeth.

      3 votes
      1. NaraVara
        Link Parent
        Reinforcing the natural satisfaction of the tactile ritual with a hit of nicotine probably makes the addiction click doubly hard.

        Reinforcing the natural satisfaction of the tactile ritual with a hit of nicotine probably makes the addiction click doubly hard.

        5 votes
  3. [2]
    cdb
    Link
    The studies linked by the Guardian article are really weak evidence. Two of them describe case studies that claim to link oral cancer observations with vaping, but neither of them have any...

    The studies linked by the Guardian article are really weak evidence. Two of them describe case studies that claim to link oral cancer observations with vaping, but neither of them have any evidence to establish a causal link between vaping and these observations, even though it's reported as such. This screams bias and agenda to me rather than evidence. The mouse study I've read before, and it's pretty bad. The mice were subjected to 4 hours of daily vapor exposure, which is completely unrealistic. The calculated exposure seems invalid because it only takes inhalation into account and not the fact that the vapor can deposit on the mice and everything in their living area. Then it turns out that the increased incidence of tumors is not even statistically significant between nicotine vapor and the fresh air control group (p=0.15). The high p-value is in one of the main tables, but the fact that they mention other p-values while this one is never mentioned in the text discussion or conclusion sections is highly suspicious.

    I haven't reviewed the whole study itself since the link isn't working for me, although I see someone posted an archive version, so I'll take a closer look later. I'm not a big fan of qualitative studies making fairly bold conclusions about risk like this one does though. Also, the concluding statement about how ecigs can't be said to be less risky than cigarettes is a serious misrepresentation of the linked study, because that study actually shows that ecigs were less risky for asthma, COPD, and oral disease.

    After saying all that, I'm not particularly pro-vaping, especially not for minors, and I think it's clear that it's not risk-free. However, I am a former vaper, and it's become a topic of interest to me how much slander and bias there is about it in media and society overall, even relative to smoking. It seems like there's often a major drive to show that it's just as bad as smoking, even though the data doesn't seem to support that. I can't point to direct evidence, but I don't think it's that much of a conspiracy theory to suggest that it's likely due to pressure from tobacco companies.

    6 votes
    1. sparksbet
      Link Parent
      Yeah, I think even if you accept the studies as stronger evidence than they are, the attempt to frame vaping as equally or even more dangerous than smoking is really dishonest.

      Yeah, I think even if you accept the studies as stronger evidence than they are, the attempt to frame vaping as equally or even more dangerous than smoking is really dishonest.

      3 votes
  4. [2]
    Queresote
    Link
    My mind cannot comprehend prescription vapes as being a balance.

    “The results of this paper reinforce that Australian laws that limit vapes to pharmacy-only access for people who are using them to quit smoking are the right approach. Preventing young people from accessing vaping products, while also providing a tightly regulated channel for those using them to quit smoking, is a balance.”

    My mind cannot comprehend prescription vapes as being a balance.

    5 votes
    1. sum4
      Link Parent
      Yeah the black market for vapes is insanely prevalent, this is not working at all.

      Yeah the black market for vapes is insanely prevalent, this is not working at all.

      2 votes
  5. th0mcat
    Link
    I tried to generate a gift article from Oxford Academic to link to the full study, but ReCAPTCHA kept failing, so I had archive.org grab it....
    4 votes